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Target Iran
By Stephen Lendman
11-4-11

In the past five years, Iran faced four harsh rounds
of sanctions. At issue is its alleged nuclear threat. No evidence proves
it.

Last May, its Bushehr nuclear plant began operating.
In September, it began supplying the national grid with 60 megawatts of
electricity, according to the Islamic Republic News Agency (IRNA).

Atomic Energy Organization of Iran (AEOI) spokesman Khadem
Qaemi said operations were at 40% of capacity.

Earlier in 2011, the IAEA said no information suggests
"possible military dimensions" to its plans.

For years, Tehran's insisted its intentions are entirely
commercial and peaceful. It's emphatic claiming no interest in producing
nuclear weapons. It hopes Bushehr will become one of a network of commercial
reactors supplying electricity. If so, it will reduce Iran's fossil fuel
reliance. Other nations do it for the same reason despite the hazards of
nuclear power in all forms.

It also says only low level uranium enrichment suitable
for power plant fuel or medical and agricultural uses are pursued.

Iran joined dozens of other nuclear club nations. Only
ITS program is questioned with no evidence to suggest it's other than what
Iran claims.

"We are very concerned about Iran and the weapons
they are providing to extremists in Iraq. We're seeing more of those weapons
going in from Iran, and they've really hurt us. We cannot sit back and
simply allow this to continue to happen. This is not something we're going
to walk away from. It's something we're going to take on head-on."

Days earlier, Joint Chiefs chairman Admiral Mike Mullen
accused Iran of "directly supporting extremist Shiite groups, which
are killing our troops. There is no question they are shipping high-tech
weapons in there that are killing our people. And the forensics prove that."

One of many State Department Iranian reports alleges:

"Iran's Quds Force provided training to the Taliban
in Afghanistan on small unit tactics, small arms, explosives and indirect
fire weapons."

Other claims accuse Iran of using front companies to
pay Taliban fighters $1,000 for each American killed and $6,000 for each
US vehicle destroyed.

For years, we've heard these and similar accusations.
All are suspect or clear lies. Alleged "forensics" are bogus.
Slapping "made in Iran" labels on munitions proves nothing except
America's duplicity in all dealings and allegations. Nothing from official
Washington is credible. It's common knowledge and should be rejected out
of hand.

America is a rogue terror state, an imperial predator.
All nations outside its sphere of influence are targeted. It was Saddam's
undoing, Gaddafi's also as well as others post-WW II, including democrats,
despots and others in between.

On October 11, Washington bogusly accused Iran of plotting
to murder Saudi Arabia's US ambassador (Adel al-Jubeir) in a bizarre scheme
sounding more like a B film script.

Also allegedly involved were plans to bomb Israel's Washington
embassy and Saudi and Israeli embassies in Argentina.

Nothing progressed was explained. In fact, accusations
were entirely baseless to further heighten US/Iranian tensions and get
hawkish congressional members to call for direct confrontation.

It takes little urging to do it, given the intellect
and morality of many in political Washington from both parties. Hillary
Clinton, in fact, said "a very concerted diplomatic outreach to many
capitals" was initiated, adding that the issue has "potential
for international reaction that will further isolate Iran."

She stopped short of calling for direct confrontation.
Perhaps later belligerence is planned. Washington's always spoiling for
a fight. So far, only sanctions, saber rattling, and hostile rhetoric have
been used.

October 25 added another element. A Justice Department
press release headlined, "Five Individuals Indicted in a Fraud Conspiracy
Involving Exports to Iran of US Components Later Found in Bombs in Iraq,"
saying:

Five individuals and four companies were charged with
"a conspiracy to defraud the United States that allegedly caused thousands
of radio frequency modules to be illegally exported from the United States
to Iran, at least 16 of which were later found in unexploded improvised
explosive devices (IEDs) in Iraq."

Another conspiracy was also charged, involving military
antenna exports to Singapore and Hong Kong.

Washington wants them extradited for District of Columbia
trials. Hossein Larijani is also charged, an Iranian citizen still at large.

Accusations include defrauding America, smuggling, illegally
exporting US goods to Iran, illegally exporting defense products, making
false statements and obstructing justice. Other charges may be added later
to assure enough stick to convict.

Like many dozens of past bogus cases related to America's
war on Islam and Iran, charges likely lack credibility. As a result, innocent
victims may be hung out to dry to beat up on Iran fraudulently. It's how
America does business. Even some in Congress understand.

On April 5, 2006, Congressman Ron Paul addressed fellow
House members saying:

Iran may be America's "next neocon target....It's
been three years since the US launched its war against Saddam Hussein and
his weapons of mass destruction."

"Of course, now almost everybody knows" there
were none, "and Saddam Hussein posed no threat to the United States."

"The significant question we must ask ourselves
is: What have we learned from three years in Iraq? With plans now being
laid for regime change in Iran, it appears we have learned absolutely nothing."

Over five years later, Paul's comments still apply and
then some as Obama continues Bush's imperial wars, added multiple ones
of his own, and threatens more.

At the February 2007 43rd annual Munich Conference on
Security Policy, then Russian President Vladimir Putin sharply criticized
US foreign policy, calling it:

"very dangerous (in its) uncontained hyper-use of
force - military force - in international relations, force that is plunging
the world into an abyss of permanent conflicts." US imperialism, he
stressed, "overstepped its national borders in every way."

"(U)nilateral illegal actions have not resolved
any single problem. They have become a hotbed of further conflicts....We
are seeing increasing disregard for the fundamental principles of international
law....No one feels safe! Because no one can feel that international law
is like a stone wall that will protect them."

"Of course, such a policy stimulates an arms race.
The dominance of force inevitably encourages a number of countries to acquire
weapons of mass destruction."

Putin also addressed a "unipolar world," calling
it one "in which there is one master, one sovereign. And at the end
of the day, this is pernicious not only for all those within this system,
but also for the sovereign itself because it destroys itself from within."

He added that "We are constantly being taught about
democracy. But for some reason those who teach us do not want to learn
themselves."

America never practiced democratic principles at home
or abroad and doesn't now.

Whether or not attacking Iran is planned remains unknown.
Western intervention targeted Syria for months. At issue is regime change.
Perhaps Iran's next. Covert operations have been ongoing for years, including
cyber attacks, political assassinations, sabotage, false accusations, and
other destabilizing tactics.

Netanyahu racketed up tensions with bogus claims about
Iranian plans to develop nuclear weapons. Never mentioned is Israel's longstanding
preemptive policy to use nuclear weapons if threatened. It's well known
that it's nuclear armed and dangerous.

At the same time, cooler heads argue against attacking
Iran. Perhaps Defense Minister Ehud Barak is one. He recently told Israeli
Radio that diplomatic pressure and sanctions are top options, adding that
Israelis shouldn't be concerned about an Iranian threat. Other Israelis
agree.

War on terror rhetoric today is key. Iran's falsely called
a regional menace to incite fear, gain votes, and prevent opposition candidates
from making "too soft" accusations.

Nonetheless, will Obama pursue confrontation with Iran
to look tough? Voters want current wars ended. Will starting another assuage
them? Perhaps, some believe, if fear's effectively generated. Voters are
notoriously gullible and mindless about earlier deceptions.

Repeat big lies often enough and most people believe
them. At the same time, burgeoning deficits constrain spending even though
defense budgets rise annually.

In addition, attacking Iran entails huge risks. Policy
experts know doing so will enflame the entire region. General war may follow
involving Russia and China defending their interests.

Moreover, nonbelligerent nations won't always put up
with Washington and Israel. Both lost considerable influence but not enough
to deter them.

However, ravaging the world one country at a time is
no way to win friends and allies. Hopefully more world leaders will choose
better ones than rogue states. Hopefully humanity will survive long enough
to see them do it.

Stephen Lendman lives in Chicago and can be reached at
lendmanstephen@sbcglobal.net.

Also visit his blog site at sjlendman.blogspot.com and
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